• Boyds AT-One Rifle Stock

    by
    J.Baker
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    Published on 11-22-2017 09:30 PM
    7 Comments Comments
    Boyds AT-One with standard grip and forearm

    Recently I was given the opportunity to try out one of the new At-One rifle stocks from Boyds Hardwood Gunstocks. The specific stock I requested and was supplied is inlet for a left-hand Savage Arms Model 10 short-action with a sporter barrel channel and blind magazine. The stock was supplied in Boyds new Ripple Timber laminate pattern which offers a slightly different look than their standard laminates.

    The primary design element of the new At-One is the various adjustments it offers to tailor fit the stock to the shooter. This allows the At-One to not only fit average shooters as most stocks do, but it can also be easily adjusted to accommodate smaller or larger shooters quite quickly and easily.
    This adjustability starts in the rear with an adjustable length-of-pull (LOP) which offers a range of 12.5 to 14 inches. Adjustment is facilitated via a simple push button on the right side of the buttstock just forward of the recoil pad.

    The AT-One offers plenty of adjustability for comb height and length of pull.The next bit of adjustability comes in the form of an adjustable comb which provides up to 5/8ths of an inch of additional height. This allows the shooter to properly align their eye with the centerline of the scope while still maintaining a proper cheek weld. Adjustment is made by a push button just below the rubber over-molded cheek piece on the right-hand side of the stock.

    One of the more unique features of the At-One stock is interchangeable grip panels. Boyds currently offers two grip options: Standard and Target. The standard grip option is what comes on the stock when you order it and features a thinner, more open sporter-style grip. The optional target grip (sold separately) provides a slightly thicker grip that is also more vertical. Swapping between the two grips is simply a matter of removing one screw, popping off the panels and replacing them with the other panels.

    Like the grip, Boyds also offers two different forearm options for the At-One, a Standard and a Target. Like the standard grip, the standard forearm is more of a hunting or sporter-style piece that perfectly matches the lines of the stock for a nice slim forearm that fits well in the hand. The standard offers raised ribs down either side to provide some additional traction. The optional target forearm (also sold separately) is about ½-inch wider than the standard and features a finger groove on either side similar to the forearm on Boyds Prairie Hunter stock. Both forearm options feature dual sling swivels studs for running both a bipod and sling and attach to the stock with two machine screws.

    Boyds AT-One with standard sporter-style gripOne other key difference between the Standard and Target pieces is that the Target pieces are both rubber over-molded while the Standard pieces are just bare plastic with raised ribs.

    Fit and finish on the At-One was extremely well done as I have come to expect from Boyds. My barreled action dropped right in without any issues, though the blind magazine pocket was a little tighter than I liked and required a little sanding at the rear to ensure I would be able to get the magazine housing back out of it later on. The trigger guard was also a very snug fit, but with a little gentle persuasion it popped into place.

    Functionally the At-One stock is as-advertised. The adjustments all work well and provide plenty of flexibility to allow the stock to fit just about anyone. The only thing really missing is some horizontal and vertical adjustment on the butt pad.

    Ergonomically I have to admit that I’m not in love with the At-One. To me the design seems a bit bulky and unfinished from the wrist forward, and there are just too many sharp edges that in my opinion should have been rounded over or at the very least beveled at a 45-degree angle.

    While neither was particularly bad, I personally didn’t care for either of the grip options. With the standard panels the curvature of the grip was ok, but it’s flat across the whole front which just felt weird. In regard to the target grip panels, it felt like they could have been a little more vertical and the bottom of the grip should have been about 3/8 to 1/2 -inch further forward.

    Boyds AT-One optional target-style forearmBoth of the forearm pieces were serviceable and well-suited for off-hand or prone use, but neither will work well off of a bag due to the dual sling swivel studs and the target panel having the rubber over-mold. The only complaint I would have about the forearm area is that it’s pretty tall which raises the centerline of the bore away from the rest point or bipod pivot which tends to result in a greater chance of inducing scope cant and amplifies the effects of barrel torque if you have a fast twist barrel. The bottom of the stock is flat all the way forward though which should make it nice for off-hand target shooting.

    The biggest dilemma I found with the At-One stock was trying to figure out exactly what specific market segment Boyds designed this stock for. I think the best fit for it would likely be for Palma or Silhouette competition where you’re shooting off-hand, or possibly PRS or F-Class with a bipod though the sharp edges it would take a beating in PRS. It would also work fairly well for long-range prone varmint hunting for prairie dogs and woodchucks.

    One thing to always remember is that stock fit and feel is a very personal thing, and while I have pointed out several things in this review that are negatives to me they’re all relative to my personal preferences and whether they’re seen as good or bad attributes will vary from person to person.
    The At-One stock is not uncomfortable to shoot in any configuration, and all the adjustments and modular panels function just as they should. Simply put, it does what it was designed to do and does it quite well. The At-One just isn’t ‘my cup of tea’ as I much prefer more traditional stock designs like the Boyds Classic and Heritage.



    Boyds currently offers the At-One stock for most makes and models of rifle they offer their other stock patterns for so if you’re looking for something a little different this may just be what you’re after. See Boyds website for pricing and color options: www.Boydsgunstocks.com.

    Additional Photos:




    Contact Information
    Boyds Hardwood Gunstocks
    25376 403 rd Ave.
    Mitchell, SD 57301
    605-996-5011
    www.boydsgunstocks.com


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    Comments 7 Comments
    1. DrThunder88's Avatar
      DrThunder88 - 11-26-2017, 04:27 AM
      Nice write-up and great rifle!

      I was pleased to see a recent email ad from Boyds saying they now offer a vertically adjustable buttplate for the AT-One. I was less pleased to learn it isn't an option when outfitting the stock, so it must be purchased separately for $81-87. Perhaps a bit less disappointing is the fact that the new buttplate has to be partly disassembled to be adjusted. I have high hopes Boyds will start offering the pushbutton AT-One comb and buttpad on the Pro Varmint so we can dispense with the silly, plastic panels.
    1. J.Baker's Avatar
      J.Baker - 11-26-2017, 07:44 PM
      Yeah, I really don't know what Boyds was thinking when they decided to go with the plastic panels.

      All told there are 15 plastic parts for the AT-One stock:
      • Four four for the adjustment buttons
      • One for the cheek piece
      • One for the bottom of the buttstock
      • Six Grip panels (Standard, Target and Target Overmold)
      • Three Forearm pieces (Standard, Target and Target Overmold)


      That's a LOT of money in molds for those parts no matter how you look at it - like $50-80k most likely, if not more.

      It would have been a LOT cheaper and easier for Boyds to have just offered the AT-One as two different all-wood options with just the adjustable comb and LOP, one being the Standard and the other being the Target. That would have limited the plastic to the four pieces for the adjustment buttons. Their stocks are all machined on CNC equipment so a second unique program wouldn't have been a big deal to create and it would have saved them a lot of money.
    1. DrThunder88's Avatar
      DrThunder88 - 11-27-2017, 06:29 AM
      That's an excellent point about the cost of the molds. Even if they still wanted to make the stock with customizable grip and forend, it seems like they could have made those parts (and the comb) out of wood. Heck, that would be another level of customization: do you want the color-matching parts or another color that's inexplicably $20 more?

      I'm interested to see how or if Boyds builds on the AT-One concept. There's no doubt in my mind that it was thought up as a way to offer cheaper shooters (like me) an alternative to chassis systems. While it's too early to tell, I suspect the AT-One framework doesn't offer the flexibility for customization that helps draw the chassis crowd, and, of course, it won't offer the rigidity that aluminum does. Who knows? Maybe there will be some changes in the AT-One-Point-One!
    1. J.Baker's Avatar
      J.Baker - 11-27-2017, 12:36 PM
      I like the concept, I just don't think it was executed very well with version 1.0. I have this one for sale down in the classifieds, but if nobody buys it I may turn it into a guinea pig. Bondo usage would be heavy as I would eliminate the separate grip and forearm plastic bits, and all those sharp edges would get beveled or rounded over.
    1. Bowguy's Avatar
      Bowguy - 12-14-2017, 09:42 PM
      Thinking they had one of these stocks that would fit my model, I placed an order for one. It didn't take but one glance to see that it would not work on my model 10, short action, bottom bolt release although the steps given on their website said different. If they would start producing one for this model, I would reorder.
    1. Idaho's Avatar
      Idaho - 10-13-2018, 09:56 PM
      I put an At-One on my 10T-SR .223 and the web of wood on both sides of the action screws cracked. I was able to make repairs with JB Weld epoxy and decided to pillar bed and epoxy bed the action.
      The stock just does not feel right to me compared to the Boyd's Pro-Varmint that I have on my other Model 10. The reason is the slop in the both the cheek piece and the butt piece just are not solid. I don't like it. I have another Pro-Varmint on order from Boyds to replace it and plan to pillar and epoxy bed the action as soon as it arrives.
    1. SageRat Shooter's Avatar
      SageRat Shooter - 10-15-2018, 11:22 AM
      The only thing I like about the At-One is the adjustable cheek piece and LOP. They should have just added those options to all of the existing stocks they already had.